Clement E. Stretton

Clement Edwin Stretton (3 October 1850 — 20 February 1915) and The Locomotive Engine and its Development, ran to 3 and 6 editions respectively. He also produced a lengthy history of the Midland Railway (1901).

During his lifetime Stretton was (and still remains) a somewhat controversial figure as his writing on railways contains many inaccuracies and fabrications. He became involved in long-running and bitter dispute with G. A. Sekon, editor of The Railway Magazine.

Life Stretton was born in Leicester in 1850, the son of Julia Stanbury (née Osborn) and Clement Stretton, a solicitor and later mayor of Leicester. It is uncertain where he was educated, as whilst several source states that he attended Rugby School, his name is not listed in the printed register of alumni. However, it seems that in 1866 he was articled to a Civil Engineering firm for £300.

Stretton claims he was assigned to work at a quarry in Cromford, Derbyshire. He claims the Guild Masons at the quarry refused to work with him, but when he joined the Operative Society after a few days he received total support from them. Stretton thereafter worked his way through the degrees of the Operative Masonry.

In 1871 also became initiated into Speculative Freemasonry at the Leicester Lodge.

Stretton was a prolific railway writer but there are wide and strong concerns about his fabrication of stories, inaccurate drawings, and long detailed lists of fictitious locomotives which he claimed had been constructed by several British firms such as Vulcan Foundry. He published this erroneous material very widely in books, magazines and local newspapers all over Britain, and donated faulty drawings to the Science Museum in London, so his efforts soon found their way into books written by otherwise reliable authors. His invented 'works lists' of the products of locomotive building firms continue to appear in print.

In 1908 Stretton re-visited the Derby Lodge and noted a substantial decline in membership. This initiated Stretton into an attempt to make efforts to revive Guild Masonry and ensure the traditions were not lost. He has received credit for his work in passing down the information from the Operative Guild which might otherwise have been lost. John Yarker of Manchester was also active in these efforts.

Stretton died in 1915.

Legacy Railway track items in the Stretton Collection are held at Leicester Museum & Art Gallery.